i have a phantom 1 and recently enabled manual mode on the s1 switch. Is there any type of flight simulator using the dji controller that would allow practicing manual mode on the computer? Is there a cheap Starter quad that could be used to practice in manual mode to learn flips and rolls and high speed acrobatics? If anyone is flying in manual mode and can point me in the right direction to get me started  and can provide any pointers or tips I would appreciate it.

Something like this would be fun. I'm getting tired of flying my phantom in circles and want something more challenging and an adrenaline Rush!!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nVKxkY5TW7A

Or this
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E-EygML_1cE

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cYFhiLSZVeg

Buy lots of props and fly over soft grass.  It takes practice and you will crash.  

\prints out the manual twice, one for both hands
\flaps arms vigorously

Does this count as manual mode

Ba sum tis

The Phoenix 5 simulator has a Phantom 1 that flies in full manual mode only. The simulator needs a a real remoter controller It will work with a Phantom 2 Vision Plus controller with the gimbal thumb wheel.

I have only flown in manual mode once. The plan was just to hoover a few feet off the ground and get a feel for it. it didn't work out that way, I was lucky to get it back on the ground without crashing

I would buy something like a Hubsan X4 to learn how to fly manual mode.

The Syma X5C is also a good one to train on

Thanks. I have plenty of extra 8" stock props for the Phantom 1 so I can afford to loss a few.  I should probably order prop guards before attempting manual mode since I know I'll be crashing. I'll order a Hubsan or Syma to practice on however I thought I read somewhere that they have a gyroscope to aid in manual flight and the Phantom does not which makes it even more difficult to fly compared to the Hubsan or Syma.  I'll also look into that simulator program. I dont want to try manual mode on my Phantom without some real world practice on a cheaper model and simulator training. I use to own one of those cheap mini helicopters and was good at flying it however they are probably designed to be easy to fly without any computer/software assistance while the phantom is designed with GPS in mind. Does anyone know if the Phantom has a gyroscope? Will flying a Phantom in manual mode be very similar to flying a Hubsan or Syma?

JATO Posted at 2015-3-23 11:49
The Phoenix 5 simulator has a Phantom 1 that flies in full manual mode only. The simulator needs a  ...

You were not doing that bad until you almost hit that tree. Im assuming you started in gps mode then switched into manual  and then switched back to GPS when you had enough altitude? Did it lock onto sats immediately when you switched back to GPS or is there some lag while waiting for a lock?  Ive also read that some people suggest having it high in the air when first trying manual mode so if you get into trouble you can switch back into GPS before hitting the ground. I like your idea better keeping it low to the ground so if it crashed it wont do that much damage. Had  you had trained on the simulator program before your attempt? Would you still recommend it if you had?

Wow the simulator software is pricey. I think I'll start by ordering a Hubsan x4 because it is the cheapest and it looks like it is small enough to fly indoors.

Buy a cheap $50 drone like the walkera ladybird. It's excellent for learning manual flight and pretty much crash resistant. Don't risk your phantom, you'll surely regret it. Gps or even atti flight is nothing compared to manual control. Once you have your cheap quad, fly it in standard settings first, after that disable the giros for manual control! It is pretty fun but takes time to master!

rdc44444@hotmai Posted at 2015-3-23 20:18
You were not doing that bad until you almost hit that tree. Im assuming you started in gps mode th ...

Looking back although foolish the plan was just to hover a few feet off the ground so I never had a GPS lock. After it was in the fog there was no way I was going to flip any switches to try and get a lock.  It took all the concentration and limited skill I had to got it back. I can't tell you how much of a work-out my sphincter muscle got during that flight. I was so lucky to got it back given the area and the conditions. Yes lots of height in a very open area on a clear day it the way to try it.

I had played with the simulator a little before. I think it helped from the point that I knew to only make small smooth moves, it definitely didn't hurt. The sim isn't cheap but it's a lot of fun. I started with the DJI controller an now my son and I have a DX7 & DX8 controller and couple of helicopters. The Phantom is easier to fly, but would cost more to repair if crashed. I also really like flying the planes in the sim. So much so that I am seriously thinking about getting a beginner airplane (a fraction of the cost of a Phantom).

Before I got the Phoenix sim I got an app sim call QuadcopterFX It's a generic quadcopter. Pretty easy to fly. It's available for IOS and Android for a few bucks.  i have the Android version setup to work with my son's PlayStation controller. Don't know if that works on IOS.

Tweety P2V2H33D Posted at 2015-3-23 12:14
Hello Jato

Could you have flicked her in to GPS mode or are your nerves made of Steel!!!

Guy I never had a GPS lock so I had to continue the flight it manual. I din't have steel nerves, I was scared to death I was going to crash.

I fly the Hubsan indoors all the time.

JATO Posted at 2015-3-23 21:30
Looking back although foolish the plan was just to hover a few feet off the ground so I never had ...

Wow i guess you got your moneys worth with that program. Incredible that you were able to bring it back like that in manual mode considering all the fog. Yeah im definately buying a cheap quad to practice before attempting manual with my phantom. I have 3 phantom 1's (2 fc40's and 1 p1) and only paid $379
For my p1 so it woildnt be as painful if i crashed that one. No way would i ever attempt to fly my p2v+ in manual mode..

JATO Posted at 2015-3-23 11:49
The Phoenix 5 simulator has a Phantom 1 that flies in full manual mode only. The simulator needs a  ...

I would of had to change my pants after that Jato!

I fly it in manual some, but too nervous about the Vision + camera and gimbal to get low or try the loops and rolls.  Keep it close enough to see it's attitude and nose.  Yet high enough to bail out to GPS or ATTI if things get hairy.  It will stabilize very quickly throwing the switch to GPS or ATTI, and hands off the sticks when you do.  It'll right itself and hover in very short order.

A+ on Phoenix simulator, it's a blast.  Makes me want to buy a camera-less bird to play with.

Jamie Posted at 2015-3-24 08:09
I fly it in manual some, but too nervous about the Vision + camera and gimbal to get low or try the  ...

I have a Syma X5C that I have a lot of fun flying. It's fast...no Gps, it does have gyros which maintain its attitude. It's a challenge to keep it in one spot but flying it is fun. I would not fly my Phantom the way I fly the Syma. For $60 it's no big deal if it gets lost.

I just enabled manual mode on my phantom. Tested it out and i got the hang of it almost instantly. I did a couple flips up in the air, and it scared me the first time i did it! Luckily i did not crash.

I read all these threads on flying in 'manual' mode and quite frankly it makes me ponder needlessly.  If you have a Phantom, what are you trying to prove?  The bird flies itself if you let it.  If you wanted to fly a quad copter manually, why did you buy a Phantom to begin with?  Even if you own a Phantom, of any flavor, if you have never flown a quad in manual mode, why would you sacrifice a good quad to learn?

I flew a Hubsan X4, indoors, for months and months before I pulled the trigger on a Phantom.  I wanted to make sure that no matter what happened, if possible, I would know how to fly the bird.  Well, I know how to fly a bird - I can make my Hubsan fly circles around a conference room if I want and not hit anyone - but that does not stop something from happening.

I guess my point is, learn the right way - the way that costs the least and can cause the least damage to 'everything.'  If you want too fly 'manually,' start small and work up.

nrgwise@gmail.c Posted at 2015-3-24 08:48
I read all these threads on flying in 'manual' mode and quite frankly it makes me ponder needlessly. ...

I started with the Blade nano QX. Then got my phantom, Im pretty confident in myself for flying in manual mode.

isaiahbrock7@gm Posted at 2015-3-24 08:44
I just enabled manual mode on my phantom. Tested it out and i got the hang of it almost instantly. I ...

Now you need to get those flips on video - there are those here that think the Phantom is incapable.  I disbelieve by experience, but my bird is in intensive care right now.

nrgwise@gmail.c Posted at 2015-3-24 08:48
I read all these threads on flying in 'manual' mode and quite frankly it makes me ponder needlessly. ...

nrgwise I did not buy my Phantom my wife did as a gift. Before that I had no interest in RC aircraft. Yes the Phantom flies itself. For me that is part of the problem...it is boring. It was really fun the first dozen flights but truthfully it is not as much fun for me anymore. I used to look forward to flying it now  it doesn't matter.  I bought a couple of helicopters. They are so much more a challenge to fly and cheaper to fix when crashed. The Phantom is too expensive to crash but I might consider flying it again in manual mode some time in the future (higher and larger area).

isaiahbrock7@gm Posted at 2015-3-24 09:01
I started with the Blade nano QX. Then got my phantom, Im pretty confident in myself for flying in ...

10-4 on the NANO QX.  My favorite small quad is the 180 QX.

Funny a few days ago I was close to purchasing an inspire 1 and now I've decide to nix that idea and now I'm trying to decide between a $50 mini drone. I'll check out all of the drones mentioned. I can live with a $50 drone crash and even a phantom 1 crash but I would seriously freak out if the inspire one flew away or came crashing to the ground. Thanks for everyone's input.

How did you go from a $3000 drone to a $50 toy?

isaiahbrock7@gm Posted at 2015-3-25 01:14
How did you go from a $3000 drone to a $50 toy?

My video connection kept dropping at about 1400-1600 feet and was blown away when I read the inspire has a 6500 feet video range. I've been getting braver and more comfortable flying the phantom at its outer limits however the video connection drops have keept me from flying further out. Plus the inspire looks so cool and looks much more agile and faster. I guess the initial adrenaline rush from flying the phantom in gps and atti mode is starting to wear off and I thought why not expand my fleet of drones and step up to the next level?

I then asked myself how would I feel if I crashed or had a $3000 drone flyaway.. so I decided to put the inspire on hold especially after reading about some of the problems people are experiencing on the inspire forum.

I met a stranger in the park the other day and he was flying a blade 350qx while I pulled out my phantom fc40. He kept jiggling his blade back and forth and I was wondering what the heck  he  was trying to do. We naturally struck up a conversation and he told me he was trying to learn to fly his blade in "agility" mode to learn to do flips and other acrobatic maneuvers . While he never attempted a flip it did look like fun having the blade slash through the air like a crazed acrobat on steroids. I have a phantom 1 and thought to myself "why can't I learn to do that?". I have a phantom 1 and two fc 40s. I've decided I'm willing to sacrifice the p1 in an attempt to learn to fly in manual mode so I can do flips and other crazy maneuvers in the air.

I asked myself how would I feel if I lost a $379 phantom 1 which is not nearly as bad as losing an inspire

So I'm holding off on the inspire and Getting a cheap trainer drone like a hubsan x4 before attempting to fly my p1 in manual mode. I'm also going to order some prop guards although I can afford to lose a few blades as I have twenty four 8" inch blades. After I lose a drone or two I might talk myself into upgrading to an inspire 1. I think learning to fly in manual mode will give me the adrenaline rush I am craving and hopefully make me into a better pilot when I move on to the inspire. Wish me luck. If I get good at manual mode and can actually perform  a flip or roll I'll record it on my fc40 camera and post the video back here. If I crash and the video survives I'll also post the video. I would never attempt to fly my p2v+ in manual mode as I am not that crazy. This is how I went from thinking about purchasing an inspire to a $50 mini drone. Wish me luck.

The way I understand it, even when the switch is in "F" manual mode, the quad still has GPS lock if you gave it time to do so. It just doesn't use it to stabilize the aircraft. A 3rd-party app developer has mentioned over and over when he's testing things in manual mode, if things get hairy, he switches immediately to "P" and the Phantom stabilizes right away. Also, I know Phantom documentation itself says RTH is still possible even in manual mode.

I'll need to experiment. What do the GPS lock lights do in manual mode? Stay green or turn another color?

nrgwise@gmail.c Posted at 2015-3-23 22:52
I fly the Hubsan indoors all the time.

I bought a Hubsan a few months ago to try to get a feel for it. I flew it indoors w/o too much issue, but learned to really appreciate the GPS flights. Once I took the Hubsan outside, however, I got it up about 20', and it started revving up by itself, leaned a little bit forward, and just took off. No control, no visual on controller no nothin'. Just watched as it took off in a straight line at about 200MPH (kidding, but it went FAST!) I just waved goodbye and shook my head. What are you going to do? I'll stick to GPS from here out.

Barney

alanbpage@gmail Posted at 2015-6-20 02:26
The way I understand it, even when the switch is in "F" manual mode, the quad still has GPS lock if  ...

They turn red. In Atti mode you do have GPS. If you run in NAZA mode and have S1 position 3 set to manual I don't think you have GPS. In Atti you maintain altitude but you will drift with the wind. Manual you drift and have to manually maintain altitude.